Water Buffalo

Water Buffalo

1990 and Today

jp melville

I asked a water buffalo one day

If it knew

That the world was divided into two halves:

Haves, have nots.

Buffalo, belly deep in mud, rice paddy water,

Produced forlorn eyes.

Buffalo munched on her cud

Of rice straw,

Said nothing.

Sitting beneath a mango tree

I lit a cigarette,

Inhaled

Exhaled slowly.

Buffalo swished its tail

To chase a small bird

That had landed on its back

To peck at insects.